Monica Getz of Irvington, ex-wife of jazz saxophonist Stan Getz and an advocate for changes in the divorce and family court systems, died Jan. 5 at age 90. The cause was bile duct cancer, according to her obituary.
She lived at Shadowbrook, the 27-room estate overlooking the Hudson River that she opened to meetings related causes such as the Coalition for Family Justice, which she founded in 1988. The couple bought the property in 1966, according to The New York Times.
Monica Getz had two children with her husband and raised three children from his first marriage. She was a former board member of the Jazz Forum Arts in Tarrytown, according to executive director Mark Morganelli.
Born in Sweden, Monica Getz was the granddaughter of Count Eric Von Rosen on her mother’s side, and on her father’s side Nils Silfverskiold, also of a royal Swedish family, according to her family’s Facebook post.
She met Jazz Hall of Famer Stan Getz while she was a sophomore at Georgetown University, when she was 20 and he was giving a concert on the campus with Count Basie. They married in 1956. Actress Donna Reed was maid of honor.
The couple divorced amid Stan Getz’s drug and alcohol addiction in the late 1980s. He died in 1991. Monica Getz later became a speaker on alcoholism and addictions who spoke at the Betty Ford clinic and the Hazelden institute.
“Fluent in eight languages, Monica was a woman of intelligence, grace, and compassion, known for her ability to connect with people from all walks of life,” reads her obituary. “She once graced the cover of Elle magazine, but her true beauty was in her unwavering dedication to helping others.”
She founded the National Coalition for Family Justice, a nonprofit committed to reforming the divorce and family court systems to ensure fairness, transparency, and accessibility. Her work focused on supporting victims of domestic violence through crisis intervention, advocacy, and legal resources.
“Monica fought against injustices,” wrote Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner. “She encouraged men and women to feel empowered to press for changes. She opened her home to others and was never too busy to help anyone who needed her.”
Getz is survived by her children, Nicolaus and Pamela; her stepson, David; her stepdaughters, Beverly and Sharon Hamilton-Getz, the widow of her late stepson Steven; and her grandchildren, Christopher, Katie, Daniel, Jennifer, Amanda, and Isabella.
